breaking free > testimonials

what people are saying about erik van alstine's new personal finance system, breaking free.

"My husband and I are taking your financial class and we are having so much success. Thank you for taking the time to put it together...you rock!"
-C.L.

"The Breaking Free class my wife and I took with you and Chris last March has been awesome! We are following the snow ball plan and already have a credit card and my car paid off. My wife does the budget every month and we pull out cash each month and put it in envelopes. Operating with cash is the way to go. By having a budget each month it actually feels like we have more money because we are in more control of it. We bought into everything you taught and tell all of our family and friends how much we learned from the class and how it is really simple and easy to follow. Thanks again." -J.A.

"Have we been helped by Breaking Free? Absolutely! The Breaking Free program affirmed what we had been doing right and guided us in eliminating habits that could cause us financial troubles in the future. Even with the recent lay-off we have been positioned to make our monthly commitments, including our tithing and building campaign pledges, Praise God for His provision and the equipping facilitated through programs such as these offered at Champions Centre! The principles taught are invaluable at any stage of your life. It's never too early or late to start! We are firm believers! Thank you for your faithfulness. We pray that others will choose to take advantage of this opportunity to equip themselves for successful living!"
-A.M. & S.M.

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"My brother Erik, we thank you for your help, we have learned a lot and feel loved. For so long most people have been telling us that the only way we can be wealthy is by having credit card to build credit history but after all that long, here we get help from a good hearted and kind man Erik Van Alstine. We love the Breaking Free class 2010. We look forward to bright future as in 16 years from now if we shall own our home. Lastly thank you for not teaching us to get more debts."
-J.K.

"Thank you so much! One of the biggest takeaways for us was the snowball method of paying off bills. As we are in financial recovery we are using the snowball method to get our consumer debt paid off. We are months away from paying off my car which gives us $560.00 toward our next bill. As you can see it is very powerful to be able to put this method into play."
-L.B.

"Breaking Free has taken our finances off of life support, and put them on a path for long-term success. We are no longer striving to get by and living pay check to pay check, we have a purpose and a future for our finances and we are taking out our debts one at a time. This was the best financial decision we have made. Thank you for putting the program together. My wife and I are going through the program again in our church small group now and it is even better the second time."
-S.R. & K.R.

"Breaking Free has provided me a wealth of knowledge in an area that I had been afraid to face. I was able to discover - and uncover - the realities of this fear, and was shown tools to help make smart choices which have provided financial 'healing.' I began to develop confidence to face my financial challenges head-on, and assume the responsibility of the usefulness of finances in a greater, wholistic, spiritual way."
-G.B.

"Hi Erik, I have paid off all my credit cards since taking Breaking Free, and have put $3,000 into savings. Thanks for all of your advice."
-Audrey

"I want to thank you for sharing your ideas in your exceptional Breaking Free program. Focusing on your strategies is making me more confident. Now could not be any better of a time for me to see your work and start to gameplan/exercise your ideas. Thank you."
-K.B.

"Breaking Free has been a big help to both of us. Especially the step-by-step approach to getting out of debt. Now we have our $1000 rainy day fund and working on our snow ball."
-J.S.

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"Breaking Free has been a miraculous blessing to me. We started to use the system and cut our grocery bill in half! When we took the time to look and total what we were spending on house stuff (we weren't even sure) food, eating, coffees and for a family of five we were at more than a thousand dollars a month. Now we take out 500 at the beginning of the month and no longer use the debit, and we eat just fine, make my own coffee's (same coffee that I was buying for someone else to make - have had the espresso machine) and its healthier too. In the class, you teach how to work and then ask for a raise. You spoke about value instead of money. While I was taking the class, I went on my first interview since I was laid off. During the interview, I was being interviewed by two men that were a little intimidating. They asked me all the typical questions on how I would deal with situations and such. I was able to use the information you gave me then. I was able to mention how I would add value to the company and that was what I was all about. It was the best interview I had ever done, and I was hired the next day. Thank you for giving wisdom and blessing me!"
-B.C.

"Project 28's Breaking Free is a phenomenal program that gives the average person like myself an easy step by step walk into debt freedom. I have a true picture of my net worth and a solid plan to eliminate my debt within three years! The thanks is to you for creating such a great product, you can be proud of the direction Breaking Free is taking people, lives are shifting with small solid steps. You are changing lives from weeds into seeds... literally.. And, less I be remiss in mentioning, gosh darn it.... you're a swell guy who really knows how to laugh at himself...For me, you made my internal embarrasment of failing in finances into a fail forward. I was relieved to hear no matter what the mistake there are steps I could take to get out from under the cycle I was in. You guys are awesome. Thanks again."
-D.S.

"The Breaking Free curriculum is straightforward, easy to understand, and engaging. The online assessment promises to bring accurate measurement and an accountability that other programs lack. Thank you for the time and energy you have expended on this project to equip us and others with tools for success! And thank you for making it so affordable. We can see that it is truly a labor of love! Your influence and dedication enrich the lives of each of us that you touch...thank you."
-D.W. & J.W.

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"The biggest impact was making a budget and tracking every purchase, and categorizing them. It has helped me ID frivolous spending, or over-indulgences..... (who me?!!!) :-) This has helped me balance my finances and priorities. Thanks a bunch!"
-V.W.

"Breaking Free was a great program for my husband and I to go through together. We had several credit card bills, medical bills, college tuition and an auto loan adding up to about $65,000. In the short time that we've been married (2.5 years), we've paid off all our bills minus my college tuition which sits at about $7,500 now. The class encouraged us to dive deeper into Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover and I enrolled in the online Financial Peace University while my husband was deployed to help keep us on track."
-K.

"Using the Breaking Free program we've structured a 3-year plan to be debt-free and we're ahead of schedule. For us as a couple it's helped us communicate more about our finances and always ask each other "do we really need that?" We can see a light at the end of the tunnel and it'll be wonderful to be free of that monkey on our back! Thank you!"
-L.S. & L.S.

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start breaking free today.

"The Breaking Free program has really helped me a lot. I especially liked the snowball concept. So far in the last two years, I've already paid off my car and a credit card."
-R.D.

"The Breaking Free program was great! I would highly recommend the course to anyone looking to increase their financial I.Q."
-J.B.

"Breaking Free program has done more to give me hope of getting my finances under control than anything I have done in the past. I have tried in the past to budget and pay off debts but because I wasn’t doing it correctly reaching my get out of debt goal was very slow and I would get discouraged and fall back into bad habits only to find myself further in debt. I tried to make extra payments on credit cards with high interest but many times ended up short of money to pay other bills so I would have to charge for food, medications, gas, emergencies, etc.

Taking this class has helped me to be more aware of where my money is being wasted. When they spoke about money being like liquid gold flowing through our lives being wasted because we don’t have a cup to hold it I really could relate to that. I have wasted so much money in my life and I have no idea where it went. Because I have taken this class I now have new resolve to know where my income is going. Making a list of where you spend money really is enlightening.

When we moved to this duplex our first power bills were over $300 a month. To me that was unacceptable. We turned down the heat, and had someone come out and turn down the water heater. We also turn off the power stripe to the television and everything that is connected to the television and unplug everything we are not using. Doing all this we got our power bill last month to $132.00. We also used to run to the store daily for groceries or other things we needed. We decided that we go to church on Sundays and Tuesdays and pass the grocery store and other stores we shop at for non grocery items so we only shop for groceries or other things on Sundays or Tuesdays. That cut our gas bill for the car by over 50%. I was filling the tank weekly and now I am filling up less than 2 times a month. We have cut down on laundry by not throwing clean clothes that have only been worn once in the laundry. That has cut down on the power bill (especially on the dryer) and the amount of detergent and dryer sheets we use. I was unaware of money we were wasting but this class has helped me to be more aware.

The debt payoff plan is so exciting because I have already made progress paying off Sears, Roamans, and JCPenneys. I will soon have Best Buy paid off. I was so excited about the snowball debt payoff plan that I made a spreadsheet on my computer. Just to see a date that will be my debt free date is so encouraging. I look at it every day and know that every day I am closer to reaching that goal. At first I thought, it is really too late for me, I am too old to reach my goals but when praying about it I realized that although I may not get as far as someone who is half my age in getting to financial freedom, if I don’t do anything I never get anywhere. By taking this class and doing what it teaches I know I will be better off in a year from now than I am right now. That is the motivation I need to keep on keeping on.

I just got paid on Friday and was so excited that the next morning my sister and I went to the bank and got the cash for our Go, Grow, Show and Blow envelopes. We pool our money for the bills so I give my sister an allowance out of the blow envelope each month. I told her I want her to also know where her allowance is going so I had her make envelopes for herself to put her money in so she budgets her spending money now. Before she was just spending it all and never knew where it was going. When she needed money for Christmas or gifts she was discouraged because she didn’t have any money saved. Now she is budgeting her allowance and putting money away in savings each month. Even she is excited about our new way of telling our money where to go and she isn’t even taking the class.

Thank you so much for teaching this class. I already feel like it has saved me money and I’ve only just begun. I dream of the day I will have NO DEBT AND INVESTMENT INCOME WILL EQUAL MY BUDGET and will be able to accomplish some of the things I have on my dream list. When I started this class I didn’t really dream much about good things and it was difficult for me to make a dream list, but now I have hope and have lots of things I am looking forward to accomplishing. I apologize for this being so long but I just wanted to let you know how much this class has already changed my life."
-S.S.